How do we address plastic pollution?
Plastic waste that accumulates in landfills and the environment is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time.
Plastic waste endangers wildlife and threatens ecosystems and the food chain. We see plastic pollution as an urgent priority.
Reducing and improving the plastic packaging we put on the market (Less Packaging, Better Packaging)
Our aim is to reduce the use of virgin plastic in our packaging by eliminating unnecessary and problematic plastics, introducing reusable and refillable solutions, and exploring alternative materials where appropriate. Where suitable, we incorporate recycled plastic into our packaging, helping to create demand for recycled materials and retain their economic value. We continuously innovate and simplify our packaging designs to improve their compatibility with existing collection, sorting, and recycling systems. Together, these actions help keep plastic packaging materials in circulation and out of the environment.
Our target
12%-17%
* Nestlé measures the reduction of Virgin Plastics usage vs 2018 baseline (611 kT). In light of the announced future divestment, the target excludes Nestlé Waters and Premium Beverages. It is subject to change once the divestment is concluded, based on its impact on the packaging portfolio.
This target reflects our efforts to eliminate unnecessary packaging, improve packaging design, increase the use of recycled materials where appropriate, and scale alternative packaging solutions where feasible.
Virgin plastic volume is obtained by deducting the recycled plastic volume from the total plastic packaging volume of the period. Primary, secondary and tertiary packaging are accounted for in the calculation.
Changes in Nestlé's business portfolio and reporting methodology may affect the comparability of some historical performance data.
Progress towards this ambition will be driven by efforts to eliminate unnecessary packaging, increase recycled content, and transition to alternative materials and delivery systems (e.g. reuse/refill). Find out more about our plans on this target on our Packaging Sustainability Strategy.
Key terms explained
Virgin plastic
Plastic that has not been previously used or subjected to processing other than for its original production. It includes fossil and bio-based plastics.
Virgin plastic
Plastic that has not been previously used or subjected to processing other than for its original production. It includes fossil and bio-based plastics.
Innovation, science, digital and AI to accelerate packaging transformation
To accelerate our efforts toward less and better packaging, we are using science, digital tools, and AI. These approaches support material screening, packaging design choices, and recyclability assessments – helping our teams to make more consistent, data-informed decisions as solutions are developed, tested, and scaled.
Our Institute of Packaging Sciences, founded in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2019, evaluates the safety, functionality and performance of packaging materials. The team works hand-in-hand with expert employees across our sites and with suppliers, research institutions and startups to help turn innovation into practical solutions.
Supporting the development of efficient collection, sorting and recycling systems (Better Systems)
We know that reducing or improving packaging alone cannot drive transformation. The global waste management infrastructure gap is significant and not in our immediate control – but we are working to help bridge the gap with projects and voluntary activities around the world, working with partners, governments and value chain actors actively supporting packaging waste management infrastructure development. We are also encouraging consumers to sort waste.
In countries with mature waste-management infrastructure and regulations in place, we contribute to waste management systems through (Extended Producer Responsibility - EPR) schemes.
In more than 20 countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America where waste management infrastructure and regulations are still developing, we proactively support their scale-up through our Plastic Recovery and Recycling Plan (PRRP). That includes collection, sorting and recycling at a system level and advocating for the set-up of well-functioning and cost-efficient packaging EPR systems.
Taking collaborative action to fight plastic pollution
Creating change like this beyond our own operations requires strong collaboration, so we are working together with value chain partners, other companies, research institutes and governments around the world to identify ways to collaborate to reduce plastic waste in the environment.
We are part of the Consumer Goods Forum’s Plastic Waste Coalition for Action, the World Economic Forum’s Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) and plastic pacts around the world.
In 2019, we joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative. We pledged to work across the industry to create a circular economy for plastic, starting with packaging.
Advocating for better regulations
Effective policy frameworks are essential to accelerate the transition to a circular economy for plastics packaging. We are continuing to support governments by actively advocating for harmonized and better regulation to accelerate infrastructure development in markets where we operate.
We advocate for a legally binding UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution and are an active member of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty.
Read more on Nestlé’s Packaging sustainability strategy (pdf, 12Mb) and under Our packaging strategy.
